Officials across the southern United States were closing schools, roads and even airports and urging residents to stay home on Monday as a major winter storm was expected to bring heavy snow and freezing temperatures to areas unfamiliar with such weather, from Texas and Texas. Louisiana all the way to Florida.
The storm comes amid strong winds across the country this week, with dangerously cold and icy conditions expected.
Up to 10 inches of snow is possible in some areas where very small accumulations can affect daily life. The Houston area was bracing for what could be “a historic snowfall in modern history,” said Bradley Brokamp, a National Weather Service meteorologist there. The area could see between 4 and 6 inches of wet snow from Monday night into Tuesday afternoon, he said.
The last time Houston recorded six inches of snow was 1886. Most recently, Houston recorded 2.5 inches of snow in 1973, he said.
Mr. Brokamp said the Tuesday morning commute could be “very dangerous” and the National Weather Service is advising drivers to stay off the roads “no matter what,” he said.
More than 40 million people were under some form of severe winter weather advisory. Cold and snowy school campuses closed across South Africa Tuesday, and in some cases, into Wednesday, from Austin and Houston to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, to Tallahassee, Fla. There were delays announced in South Carolina and Georgia.
Elsewhere in the country, temperatures in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest were expected to hit the negative teens or single digits, while the Rockies, Central Plains and Midwest were likely to see highs in the single digits or teens. With wind chills as high as 20 to 30 degrees below zero expected and snow, school closures were declared in parts of Iowa, Ohio and Minnesota.
The southern storm is expected to sweep through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the Weather Service. Heavy snow is expected along and near the Interstate 10 corridor, while sleet and snow are forecast for parts of southern Texas, southeastern Georgia and northern Florida.
Several cold warnings were in place for the Gulf Coast and northern Florida, as slightly cooler morning temperatures could threaten sensitive plants and open water pipes. These cold conditions are expected to continue for the next few days in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
Texas and Louisiana Department of Transportation crews were treating highways with salt and brine ahead of the storm Monday afternoon. The Texas Department of Transportation said it treated 3,000 miles of roads Sunday.
Major travel disruptions, with flight delays and cancellations, are also expected, as these areas are not equipped to deal with winter weather, said Mr Chenard. The Houston Airport System, which includes George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport, said it would shut down all flight operations starting at midnight Tuesday.
Total snow accumulation in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana is expected to be between two and six inches.
At a news conference Monday, officials in Louisiana urged residents to take precautions and stay off the streets. Below-freezing temperatures are forecast to last through Thursday in some areas, with the possibility of 4 inches or more of snow in large parts of southern Louisiana.
“This creates a very dangerous situation, not only for travel, but for people, pipes, pets and plants,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. He urged people to check their heating systems and warned against using gas or electric stoves or ovens to heat their homes. Residents have been advised to expect power or water outages and road closures.
Jay Grymes, state meteorologist, said Southern Louisiana has not seen a storm of this magnitude since the 1960s.
“Most of us have never experienced this combination of freezing cold and significant snow in our lives,” said Mr. Grymes. “Take those precautions, take this event seriously. Get ready tonight, because you won’t have another chance until Thursday.”
Bitter cold and winter storms are expected to continue across the Southeast and eastern United States through at least the middle of the week. Dangerous driving conditions and traffic disruptions are likely to continue for several days in the South after the storm leaves, Mr. Chenard said: “Given the cold air that is still there, it may take a while for things to thaw.”
The southern storm comes as the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were getting rid of snow over the weekend, which left the biggest accumulation of the season. Two West Virginia cities, Thomas and Elkins, each recorded 16 inches. Danger, Md., just south of the Pennsylvania border, recorded 14.5 inches. In New York, the largest total was in northern New York City, with about eight inches in Fahnestock State Park, Highland Mills and Hopewell Junction. Central Park recorded 1.6 inches.
In Washington, DC, which received less than an inch of snow Sunday, temperatures averaged 28 degrees at noon Monday, the National Weather Service said, making it one of the coldest Commencement days in decades.
Cold temperatures in many areas will be felt even harder by dangerous wind chills, especially in the Rockies, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. These areas are forecast to experience lows of 30 to 55 degrees below zero through Tuesday morning, levels that pose a high risk of frostbite and hypothermia for anyone with exposed skin, the Weather Service warned. Even areas as far south as the South-central Plains and Ohio Valley will experience low temperatures by mid-week.
At a homeless shelter in Kansas City, Mo., about 30 men took refuge in the 15-degree weather Monday, including two people with the flu, according to Eric Burger, director of Shelter KC.
Victor Butler was there and said he had snow on his feet.
Mr. Butler said wearing multiple warm layers is not enough. “I knew I didn’t have enough clothes to face this kind of cold,” she said.
Alexandra E. Petri responsible reporting.
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